Heinrich Heine
Du Bist Wie Eine Blume
Das Buch der Lieder (1825)

Even the high school German student may hope to get a few literary moments amid the others, and this very popular poem by Heine is likely to be one of them.

Du bist wie eine Blume,
You are like a flower,

so hold und schön und rein,
so sweet, and fair, and pure,

Ich schau' dich an, und Wehmut
I look at you, and sorrow

schleicht mir ins Herz hinein.
Steals into my heart.

Mir ist, als ob ich die Hände
I feel that I ought to lay

aufs Haupt dir legen sollt'
my hands upon your head,

Betend, dass Gott dich erhalte
Praying that God should keep you

so rein, und schön, und hold.
so pure, and fair, and sweet.

The poem is so simple that it is hardly there; the words do not get in the way of the thought, and the thought itself is as natural as breathing. It could not be shorter than it is, and it could not be longer. It has been set many times to music, most notably by Schumann in 1840 (Myrten, op 25 #24), by Hugo Wolf in 1876 (Heine-Lieder, #2), and (in Pleshcheyev's Russian translation) by Rachmaninov in 1893 (op 8 #2).

 

23 Sept 2008 / Contact The Project / Exit to Reference Page